Romeo and Juliet

What can possibly be said about one of the best remakes of one the most famous tragedies penned by the great William Shakespeare? Romeo and Juliet triumphs as a romantic classic brilliantly made, with amazing performances by the entire star cast. The movie was released in 1996 and had Claire Danes and Leonardo Di Caprio in the lead roles. The film is a contemporary version of Shakespeare’s play, modified to appeal to a younger and modern audience, though the original dialogues have been retained by the film makers. The background of the film is set is a fictional city, by the name Verona beach, which is the center of a corporate feud between ‘Montague’ and ‘Capulet’, the families of the two lovers. The original play has been beautifully adapted into a film, which also gives the viewers a fair idea on how the more contemporary Romeo and Juliet ought to be.

Story
For the uninitiated, Romeo and Juliet tells the tale of two teenage lovers who fall for each other and marry secretly without involving their families in their union. Their families, the Montague and Capulet, being fierce rivals for decades, break out in violence as they learn about the wedding. Ultimately, the efforts of Romeo and Juliet prove futile in front of the raging anger of the families. Their love is damned when Romeo incorrectly learns that Juliet is dead. In haste, he poisons himself. But when Juliet learns about the incident, she too commits suicide. The movie has shown the warring families in a much modernized way, unlike the original version of Shakespeare. Not just the characters have been updated to suit a contemporary setup; even many of the props have been replaced with analogous contemporary props. The characters are seen using fictional brand names, such as "Sword 9mm", "Dagger", or "Rapier", Lord Montague's "Longsword" in place of swords. However, the director has retained the great references to Catholicism from the original piece. A great movie to catch up with your beloved for some amazing fusion of Shakespearean English and modernity!